Rejoice or Retaliate    

How did Jesus expect His disciples to react under persecution? (In Matthew 5:12 He said), "Rejoice and be glad!" We are not to retaliate like an unbeliever, nor sulk like a child, nor lick our wound in self-pity like a dog, nor just grin and bear it like a Stoic, still less pretend we enjoy it like a masochist. What then? We are to rejoice as a Christian should and even "leap for joy" (Luke 6:23).  John Stott

This is a tough one for me.  To “Rejoice and be glad” when someone hurts me or when you know someone is not quite telling you the truth.  Part of my issue with this is my ego.  I want immediate satisfaction in retaliating in kind. 

We had an incident last weekend at one of our farmer’s markets.  We have been participating at this particular market for several years.  When we initially started selling at this market we were allowed to set up our booth in a great location.  At the time the market had just started so there were fewer vendors but as time went on more and more vendors started participating and eventually we were told by the organizer that we would have to move to another location.  She decided to move all of the non-food vendors across the street and this move cut our profits in half. 

The reason we were given for being moved was that there was a zoning ordinance that didn’t allow non-food vendors in the area where we originally had set up.  From the outset I didn’t buy into this explanation.  It just didn’t make sense to me and my mom didn’t buy it either. 

This same organizer decided to contact us and tell us if we didn’t attend her market every weekend we would lose our current spot at the market.  I have this personality defect that when I get pushed against a wall I come out fighting.  So I decided to call the city to find out what the zoning ordinance said.  I didn’t realize it but my mom decided to do the same thing. We didn’t realize that the market organizer had a friend down at the city because my mom received a threatening call from the woman telling mom that she should have contacted her if she had questions instead of the zoning department and if she called them again she would not be able to participate at the market at all. 

We went to a vendor meeting last weekend and the woman admitted she basically lied to the city zoning committee to allow us to participate at the market. I admit I am struggling with the retaliation thing.  Here is the question that always gets me.  When should you confront someone or rejoice and be glad and then leap for joy?  Then there is the “vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord”.  This being a Christian business is tough.  We are tested every single day and it isn’t multiple choice.  We can’t pick all of the above.        

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to make the right choices.  I have in me the tendency to retaliate when someone does something that is wrong especially when it hurts someone I care about.  Please help me to look at each trial as a training ground.  Help me to make the right decision so that You are glorified.  Remove “me” from the equation and replace it with “You” so that I can see if from Your perspective.   

Scripture:  “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.  Jeremiah 17:7-8